I came into the night at the House of Blues with very high expectations. A few friends of mine are huge fans of Griz and Gramatik, so they built up their performances to seem like works of art. I had never heard of Mr. Nice Guy or TryxX, but I assumed since they were opening for Gramatik, they MUST be good. The problem with having artists built up in your head is that many times you are let down. Suffice it to say, that was NOT the case this night at House of Blues.
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Mr. Nice Guy
The night opened with a mild-mannered DJ with a helluva music taste. Starting off with softer dubstep ballads from artists like Adventure Club, and building into heavier and heavier tracks, Mr. Nice Guy set the scene for one wild night. His mixing was fantastic, and the flow of his set was fun to be a part of. It was the perfect music to get everyone who walked into the venue on their feet and ready to rage for the night.
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TryxX
Next up was TryxX. This was a trio of artists; one DJ spinning some filthy drum and bass, and two guys rapping throughout the set. I was thoroughly impressed by this performance; it reminded me of Zeds Dead and Omar Linx, but with a little less bass and a different tempo. Overall, I really enjoyed their set and made a mental note to instantly look them up online.
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Griz
The moment I had been waiting for. I’ve been listening to Griz for well over a year now, and I had been wanting to see him live the whole time. I got to catch his set at Coachella briefly, but don’t think I got the full taste (plus I didn’t get to see him play his sax). Yes, Griz doesn’t just DJ, but throughout his set he will pick up his saxophone and belt away a few tunes while some light dubstep and glitch hop plays. I was blown away by not only Griz’s talent, but by his passion for his music, and his ability to control the crowd. That and the fact that he plays all original sets makes Griz an amazing show to see (and he wasn’t even the headliner).
Watch a video of Griz playing the sax!
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Gramatik
The man of the hour. After releasing his album #digitalfreedom earlier this year, I was ready to see him in action. Gramatik has a funk sound, combined with wobbles, bass, and live recorded instruments. That, and he travels with his guitarist, who can absolutely jam. This set turned out to be one of my favorites all time at a small-scale venue. The energy of the duo on stage, plus the quality of the tracks (all originals again), and the way Gramatik just owned the crowd; I was losing my mind. I danced my face off, and was ready for more at the end of the set. Gramatik is now a must see in my book, and I recommend anyone with the chance to go see him play, to DO IT.
Watch Gramatik play his first track of the night!
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